Matteo Ferrari explains the news of the MotoE World Cup 2022

Matteo Ferrari explains the news of the MotoE World Cup 2022
Matteo Ferrari explains the news of the MotoE World Cup 2022
Matteo Ferrari with the MotoE of the FELO Gresini Racing team

We asked Matteo Ferrari to tell us how was the first test of the MotoE World Cup in Jerez and to describe the news of the 2022 season, the fourth in the MotoGP electric class.

We are exactly halfway between the two pre-season tests of the MotoE World Cup 2022. The first took place in Jerez two weeks ago, the second, also on the Andalusian circuit, is scheduled for two weeks. For the fourth consecutive year, Matteo Ferrari will participate in the electric championship, which is part of the World Championship.
For those who have not followed the MotoE in his first three seasons, Matteo Ferrari was the winner of the first edition of the MotoE World Cup in 2019 with the Gresini Racing team. In the following two years, again with the Italian team, Ferrari finished second and third respectively in the overall standings.
Given his great experience in MotoE, we asked him to tell us how was the first pre-season test of the MotoE and to explain the news of the 2022 season, the fourth in the MotoGP electric class.

Matteo Ferrari during the test of the MotoE in Jerez
Matteo Ferrari during the test of the MotoE in Jerez

“The first day we tested on dry track while the second day it rained, but it was still interesting because sometime there will be wet races and having data will be important. So we did two sessions in very similar wet conditions to trim the set-up and see which solutions worked better. That was the first time we had this chance in four years because it had never rained for more than one session. Unfortunately, the third day was not the best; the track was damp in the morning, and no significant data could be obtained, so I didn't go on track. So overall, the last day I will have done 5 or 6 laps, it was a bit of a lost day.”

This year the main technical innovation of the MotoE is represented by the new motor, which has a completely different design and is 11kg lighter.
“You can certainly feel the weight reduction”, explained the rider from Rimini, “especially when braking and entering fast corners. It's an easier bike to ride, and there's less inertia under braking, also in terms of the motor's rotating mass. When using the rear brake, now you feel the wheel slow down; previously, it continued to turn and push. This is the first thing you feel when riding the new bike. For the moment, I can't say what will change in terms of lap time; we didn't have three days of dry track, and nobody pushed to the limit. We have to wait for the next test to see if the lap time will drop."

Ferrari added that to reach the limit of the new bike, it will be necessary to understand how the rear tire developed by Michelin for 2022 behaves.
“The front should be the same as last year, but all the teams found higher tire consumption during this test. Perhaps this is due to the different weight distribution because most of the kg has been removed from the motor at the rear of the bike. The rear tire is new and should be understood because it works differently than the previous one; we think it is due to the lower weight. I really liked its behaviour, and when we compared it with last year's tire, we saw that the new was a few tenths faster. However, these are very preliminary evaluations; it is necessary to find a good set-up before making certain considerations on lap times.”

Matteo Ferrari with the team chief engineer, Giuseppe De Gruttola, during the test of the MotoE in Jerez

“We also expect a shorter braking distance, but to give a specific answer, I need to brake with the same speed as last year, and in this test, it has not yet been possible; we will evaluate it well in the April test. I braked closer to the curve, but because I arrived at a lower speed, so I still don't know for sure how braking changes with the lighter bike.
The motor revs higher, and therefore we need to do some tests with different gear ratios to find the right set, but the weather did not allow us to do these tests.
Indeed, over this month between the two tests, the technicians of Energica will look at the data of all the riders and understand from the comparisons how the behaviour on the track of the new bike has changed compared to last year. Therefore, we will have more answers from the next test."

Matteo Ferrari during the test of the MotoE in Jerez
Matteo Ferrari during the test of the MotoE in Jerez

The bike changes this year, and the lineup also changes. Three riders returned to MotoE after a period of absence (Smith, Canepa and Garzò) and five rookies (Fores, Manfredi, Escrig, Alcoba and Finello).
“They all made a good impression on me”, was Ferrari's judgment of the five rookies in MotoE. “I also saw that someone managed to go below 1:50, which is already good in the first test. In my opinion, having a lighter bike helps them adapt faster. In the past few years, it was essential to learn how to manage weight, while this year, it is a little easier. 15 kg may seem small, but it already makes a big difference. In practice, we are approaching the weight of a road or endurance bike; we are returning inside the boundaries of experience of many riders whereas before it was a weight that no one was used to.”

Matteo Ferrari and Alessio Finello are the riders of the FELO Gresini Racing team for the MotoE 2022

In a previous interview, Manuel Poggiali, sporting director of the Gresini team, had indicated that Ferrari would need to compete in another championship, not only in MotoE, to keep up the habit of competition. The answer was not long in coming: in 2022, Ferrari will participate in the CIV (the Italian Championship) in the SuperSport category with a Ducati Panigale V2 955.
“I was pleased to take this opportunity. The team is the Toccio Racing Team, and I have known many of the guys on the team since I was racing with the Barni team in the CIV Superbike.
In these two years, I have not done other competitions and racing only in MotoE, which races are 6 or 7 laps, was a limit. Almost all of my competitors also did other championships; Aegerter, for example, was in the SuperSport World Championship. Maybe it's a coincidence, but in the year I won the title of the MotoE, I was also racing in another championship, the CEV. The training is good, but it is very different from real races.”

MotoE World Cup 2022
5 questions to Manuel Poggiali

“Being on the bike often, with a well-prepared team and in a high-level competition helps a lot. When you arrive with a racing attitude, it is important, even if in a different category. That is true, provided that all competitions are of a high standard and the CIV certainly is. This year, when I get to the first race of the MotoE on April 30th in Jerez, I will already have a SuperSport race behind me. A positive aspect of the CIV is the similar format to MotoE, with the qualification divided into Q1 and Q2 and with two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. As always in MotoE, the qualifying session will be essential and gaining experience in the CIV will be very important."
“I expect that the Q1 and Q2 formula will be a bit complicated because the unsportsmanlike behaviours that we see in the other classes of the World Championship will also arrive here: I'm talking about the search of slipstreams and the riders they expect each other. These are things that I don't like, but with only 10 minutes available, they will inevitably happen. So, as a result, I expect we will see some sanctions from time to time. Then in MotoE, we are all there in the pitlane during qualifying, so you can't hide in the box; everyone sees you when you exit the pitlane.”

In two weeks, starting from April 11th, three days of testing will take place in Jerez. The MotoE World Cup 2022 will officially begin on April 29th, with the Spanish GP on the same track.

To be updated on MotoE World Cup, subscribe to Epaddock's Whatsapp broadcast and receive all our news on your mobile phone in real time: find out how here.